employment
July 2014: number of discouraged workers decreased from last year
the monthly news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is continuing to hold steady at about 6.2 percent, with 9.7 million people unemployed. However, the biggest news is that as of July 2014, there are 247,000 fewer discouraged workers than there were in July of last year; there are currently 741,000…
Read MoreEEOC fights pregnancy discrimination, sues massage chain
In light of an influx of employers being sued for pregnancy discrimination — and losing their cases — in recent years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released new guidelines to help employers prevent pregnancy discrimination earlier this month. The new guidelines say that denying a woman work, or demoting or firing her due to pregnancy,…
Read MoreEEOC offers new guidelines for avoiding religious discrimination
the guidelines do not provide more information about what actually does constitute hardship for employers. Employers are also not allowed to require someone to cover up religious clothing or behaviors, or be placed in non-customer-facing jobs because of perceived or real customer bias. The EEOC clarified that one’s religious adherence and practices may evolve over…
Read MoreJune 2014: professional business services sees leap in job availability
the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly news release, the unemployment rate decreased in June to 6.1 percent, down .2 percentage points from the previous two months. Almost 300,000 new jobs were available last month — thanks to growth in professional services, healthcare and other industries — and the number of unemployed people in the U.S.…
Read MoreMay 2014: unemployment rate steady at 6.3 percent
Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly news release, the unemployment rate held steady at 6.3 percent in May, consistent with April 2014’s rate. The report also indicated an increase of 217,000 jobs total across several major non-farming industries. Professional services, which includes computer systems, management and temporary services, added 55,000 jobs last month. Over the past 12…
Read MoreCities, states consider minimum wage hikes
Several cities and states around the U.S. are considering legislation that would increase city- and state-wide minimum wages by as little as $1 per hour to upwards of $5 per hour. Federal minimum wage is currently set at $7.25 per hour, a number that has not changed since July 2009. California and Illinois are two…
Read MoreCalif. county may instate employee criminal history checks on ice cream truck vendors
Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors has proposed new regulations requiring ice cream truck operators, and other street vendors whose primary clientele consists of unsupervised children, to undergo fingerprinting and background checks before being licensed to run their businesses in Los Angeles County. Conducting these employee criminal history checks prior to licensing could potentially keep…
Read MoreDelaware, Baltimore pass ban-the-box legislation
Add the state of Delaware and the city of Baltimore, Md., to the list of cities and states that have passed “ban the box” legislation. Delaware is now the 12th state to officially pass statewide ban-the-box laws. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed an order on May 8 prohibiting public-sector employers from asking about or conducting criminal…
Read MoreSet your company up for success with a strong HR department
The Human Resources department at any company wears a lot of hats — its representatives are responsible for creating company policy regarding hiring, helping the company avoid expensive discrimination lawsuits, and saving the company money by making sure employees are hired for jobs they are qualified for and are able to retain for the long…
Read MoreApril 2014: drop in unemployment rate, more jobs available
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate dropped in April to 6.3 percent, down .4 percent from March. Notably, the number of unemployed people — for both those that are re-entering the workforce, and those who are entering the work force for the first time — is down from previous months. In April, 288,000 new…
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